Underwater photographer Karen Glaser was first given a camera in 1983. Untrained but enthusiastic, she used her weatherproof camera to begin photographing in pools and then eventually graduated to rivers, lakes, and oceans. Her fascination grew as she, “saw something unfamiliar and exciting. [Her] perception changed and [she] discovered a newly transformed world of possibilities.” From this point she proceeded to create images based around the preservation of ecosystems and the hope that her photographs would show the many ways in which the water environment is being threatened.
Glaser's photographs range from eerie, colorful underwater scenes filled with plants and animals to moody black and white images that evoke the primordial nature of the ocean. Her photographs are frequently taken at fascinating angles and often take a moment for the viewer to understand what they are seeing. She provides a view of our water systems that most people never see. Her striking images look like they were taken in a different world far removed from the day-to-day surface that we see.
In Glaser's words, “Water is life's stage and for as long as the stage door has been open to us, it has excited our creative and spiritual expression. The allure and mystery of these waters and the complicated puzzle of their continued existence inspires these pictures and continues to summon you and me to look even deeper.”
